


Cenam

by pkmntrainer_alex



Series: OTPtober 2020 - Ichiji x Nami [38]
Category: One Piece
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Arguing, Bad Parenting, F/M, Family, Family Dinners, Family Feels, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-18
Updated: 2020-11-18
Packaged: 2021-03-09 21:34:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,916
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27612848
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pkmntrainer_alex/pseuds/pkmntrainer_alex
Summary: Following the news of their engagement, Ichiji’s mother insists on hosting a special dinner for them both...with the rest of the Vinsmoke family.
Relationships: Nami/Vinsmoke Ichiji
Series: OTPtober 2020 - Ichiji x Nami [38]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1946653
Comments: 6
Kudos: 14





	Cenam

**Author's Note:**

> **Day 24 [SFW] - Family**
> 
> \- I hate myself for how long it's taking to finish the remaining OTPtober prompts  
> \- Apologies for this kind of being all over the place - I am toying with the idea of making it longer, but fuck _me_ , I have too many Vinsmoke-related fics that need my attention (and I promise I will get to them soon, I have been so tired lately)

Nami, at least initially, hadn’t seen what the issue was. Ichiji’s family didn’t intimidate her - least of all Niji, who had avoided her ever since his poolside beatdown. She didn’t know the others well enough to have an opinion. With the exception of Sanji, of course.

Ichiji had tried to refuse, both calmly and then not-so-calmly as his mother continued to insist, phone call after phone call. Nami had eavesdropped, time and time again, giggling as she heard Ichiji struggle to come up with excuses for his mother. He had to work. She had to work. His father had to work. Yonji was sick (a lie told in tandem with him frantically messaging Yonji on his laptop with explicit instructions to play along or perish). Nami was sick. _He_ was sick. 

Sora Vinsmoke was persistent. And in the end, the dinner ended up happening anyway. Ichiji had picked the restaurant - he told Nami (in private) that under _no_ circumstances did he want to afford any of them a chance to relax. “Trust me,” he assured her as they walked in, handing off their coats to a well-dressed attendant while another one waved for them to follow. “You do not want to see how they behave in private.”

Nami felt that warning a little on the ominous side, especially when compared against the hug Ichiji’s mother wrapped her in minutes later. The Vinsmoke matriarch was on the small side - smaller than her husband, smaller than any of her children, smaller than Nami - and her arms felt thin and frail even as she hugged Nami as tightly as she could, grinning from ear to ear. “It’s so _wonderful_ to finally meet you!” She released Nami, slipping her arms down to grasp her hands just as tightly as she shot a look over at Ichiji, who looked sheepish. “Years, I’ve asked this one to bring you to a proper family dinner. _Years._ I know you’ve come to events the family hosts for the business but...ah, well...I don’t go to those…”

At the table, her husband cleared his throat loudly.

They sat down together, with Nami across from Ichiji, seated between his mother and sister. She glanced around the table at the mostly-familiar faces. Niji, who caught her gaze for a brief instance before staring down at his lap and glowing bright red. Yonji, who had somehow gotten his hands on a basket of breadsticks and was too busy eating to do more than wave at Nami and his eldest brother. Nami was most struck by how much, at that moment, Ichiji and Sanji resembled each other - both of them had the expression of one who wished they were anywhere else.

Sora, of course, could do little more than continue gushing over her future daughter-in-law, her blue eyes shining. “I’m just so happy Ichiji has found someone who makes him happy. I swear I’ve never seen him smile as much as he does when he talks about you.”

Across the table, Nami could feel the embarrassment radiating off Ichiji.

“It’s a distraction from his work.” The large man, who Nami knew was Ichiji’s father, did not look happy. She stared at him, undeterred, even as he cast an unfriendly gaze in her direction. Nami had seen him at receptions and parties, but only ever from a distance. “He doesn’t need to be happy, he needs to be productive.”

That remark triggered a reaction from all the siblings. Nami heard an audible _tch!_ from Niji, who shot a glare in his father’s direction, and even Yonji had stopped eating long enough to roll his eyes. Sanji’s brow was twitching as his face contorted in anger, and at her side, Nami heard Reiju - the lone sister - let out a quiet sigh.

“Don’t mind him,” Reiju murmured to Nami, bringing her glass of champagne to her lips. Now that she’d met them both, Nami could see that Reiju was the mirror image of her mother - outside of the hair, of course. “You know how...out of touch fathers can be.”

Ichiji said nothing, but Nami could tell him father’s words had stung in how his shoulders went stiff and rigid against the back of his chair.

“Well, we all know what _you_ think,” Sora snapped back, smile vanishing as her face darkened with anger under her soft blonde hair. She glared fiercely at her husband, who looked no happier but seemed reluctant to meet her eyes. “You don’t care if anyone in this family is happy. Anyone but _you_ , that is.”

Nami couldn’t think of a time she’d ever been more relieved for the sudden appearance of a waiter, bowing and scraping, wine bottle tucked under his arm and full of recommendations for appetizers, entrees, and drinks. That seemed to temporarily halt whatever storm had been brewing, though an uncomfortable tension lingered. 

As the drinks flowed, the family relaxed a bit more - though Nami noticed that both parents were uncomfortably quiet. Appetizers were quickly torn into, more often than not dissolving into a fight between Niji, Sanji, and Yonji, all three of whom were more than happy to stab each other’s hands with forks as they wrestled for the last crabcake, bruschetta, and crostini. Ichiji caught Nami’s eye during one such battle, and he rolled his eyes heavily.

Only Reiju seemed to be the civilized sibling, snatching food straight out from under her younger brothers while casually sipping at her drink. “Are you sure you want to do this?” She asked Nami, voice barely audible, a playful smile on her full, pink lips.

“Do...what, exactly?” Nami stammered, feeling a slight hint of a blush. Reiju had a disarming air about her, elegant and charming - the sort of thing Nami had thought only Ichiji was really capable of. 

“Marry my little brother.” Reiju let out a small laugh as she took another drink, eyes resting on Ichiji across the table, who was eyeing her unhappily - Nami suspected he could hear his sister’s every word. “You’d be stuck with this family - forever, even if you were to end up divorcing.”

Confirming that he could indeed hear the conversation, Nami watched as Ichiji’s face went dark red in anger. It was fascinating to see - he never lost his composure or his practiced poker face, not that Nami had ever seen. Except with her, of course. It seemed his family was an exception to the rule.

“I’m not scared of your family,” Nami asserted, taking a drink of her wine - sweet, with the faintest taste of strawberry. 

“Hm? Then Ichiji hasn’t told you enough about us. And, please - I am not trying to intimidate you.”

“It feels like you are.” Nami moved her eyes around the table to see if anyone else was listening. Both parents were drinking in silence, facing each other but not saying a word as they kept their heads bowed. Yonji was flicking tiny bits of diced tomato at Sanji, who was tearing into him for wasting food. Niji was looking right at Nami, grinning, seeming to have finally gotten over his initial reluctance to acknowledge her.

“That’s not my intention. I just think you should go to the altar...informed.” Reiju set her glass down with a sigh, closing her eyes for a moment. When she opened them, Nami could see how tired she was. Looking away from Nami, Reiju turned her attention to her brothers across the table. “Stop playing footsie with me.”

Ichiji’s anger abated for a moment, replaced with an expression of mild confusion. At his side, Niji scowled.

“I’m not playing footsie with _you.”_

“I’m the person sitting across from you, you idiot.” Reiju held her glass up, and a waiter appeared out of nowhere to top it off. “Get your feet away from me or this dinner will end with me breaking both of your legs.”

Nami couldn’t help but have the feeling that Niji would be ending dinner with several new injuries anyway, with how Ichiji was looking at his twin brother. 

From there, Reiju dropped the conversation, making token attempts here and there to engage the rest of the family in small talk about the weather, sports, and local events. Nobody really seemed interested in talking - least of all the parents or Ichiji - and Nami felt a new wave of relief when their food finally arrived.

The rest of dinner passed without incident, and she’d barely had a chance to turn down dessert before Ichiji was helping her to her feet, throwing her coat around her shoulders as politely as he could while still rushing. “Wonderful seeing everyone,” he mumbled, and Nami could feel the desperation coming off of him. It didn’t take a genius to see he was past his limit. “I’m sure we’ll have to do this again at some point in the coming years.”

“Nami, dear, come look at this.” Sora had pulled her phone out, opening her photo gallery - completely ignoring her eldest son and his non-verbal expressions of protest. Sora handed her phone to Nami, turning it sideways as she pulled up a photo. “I just _had_ to show you this. I found it earlier today when I was going through my things and I took a picture of it.”

It was a photo of a photo, and Nami could see it was an old picture. It looked like a professional photoshoot, with a bright white backdrop. There was a large galvanized flower bin in the center, rimmed in colorful blooms, and four small babies had been plonked right inside the container. The green-haired baby was in the middle of trying to eat a flower, and the blonde baby was the only one looking at the camera and smiling. A blue-haired baby was attempting to bite his blonde brother’s shoulder, and on the far end of the bin, a red-haired baby was just as red-faced, crying inconsolably, fat tears streaming down his face.

Ichiji was mortified, and made a grab for his mother’s phone. “ _Why do you have this?_ Why are you showing this to her? Give me that -”

“I have your phone number, don’t I? I’ll send it to you.” Sora deftly snatched her phone back before Ichiji could seize it, smile on her face once more. She looked at the screen and sighed lovingly, brushing her fingers on it as though she longed to reach through and hold her babies once more - Nami had no basis for interpreting such a way, but she could feel it. “They were so small once. So small. My baby boys. And look at them now.”

Nami looked at the brothers, just in time to see Niji, Sanji, and Yonji stabbing each other once again over a massive sherbet bombe. She smiled at Sora, who was still preoccupied with her phone. “They still look like babies to me.”

“I think we _really_ need to leave now,” Ichiji interrupted, looking very much as though he were ready to burst into flames. 

Sora caught Nami’s arm as she turned to leave, quickly tugging her downwards. When their eyes met, Nami was startled to see that she was tearing up. “Do you love my son?” She asked, her voice small and fragile.

“I do,” Nami answered, neither hesitating nor doubting her answer for a moment.

Beginning to smile again, Sora squeezed Nami’s hand. “Please keep him safe.” She glanced over at her husband, who had turned away for a moment, gazing off out a nearby window.

“Don’t let him turn into his father.”

**Author's Note:**

> \- Had to make Sora as mom as possible, complete with embarrassing photo on her phone  
> \- Being able to depict Sanji and his brothers actually behaving like brothers breathes life into me


End file.
